The Untold Story
by Trunk'sfallenAngel
Summary: This is the story of an orphaned boy with the stars in his eyes and a dangerous amount of innocence and hope named Eugene Fitzherbert. This is the story of how that hopeless dreamer grew up to become the notorious thief that trusted no one known as Flynn Rider. And this is the story of how he went full circle and became Eugene Fitzherbert all over again.


_This is the story of an orphaned boy with the stars in his eyes and a dangerous amount of innocence and hope named Eugene Fitzherbert. This is the story of how that hopeless dreamer grew up to become the notorious thief that trusted no one known as Flynn Rider. And this is the story of how he went full circle and became Eugene Fitzherbert all over again. This is the story that wasn't told. This is a story that like any other, mattered, and even more so than most stories, this one **deserved** to be told.  
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"There are only two ways to live your life.

One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."

― Albert Einstein

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**September 23rd 1783, The orphanage**

Eugene had never known his parents. He knew that at one point in time he'd had them- because all kids did- but he could not for the life of himself recall them and a lot of his free time was spent trying to remember the parents that were both faceless and nameless to him. Or not completely nameless because he had a last name, Fitzherbert and that that was all he knew of them.

He liked to think that he was named after his Father. He liked to think that he might look like his Father. He often heard people fawning over babies and saying things like 'he has his mother's eyes' or 'look at that strong chin, he got that from his Father' and he decided after secretly listening in on such talk whenever he found it occurring that it would be nice to look like a relative. The reason being because someone could point out a certain feature on your face and say exactly who you got the trait from, looking like someone means they're your family and he had always wanted a family. So even imagining that he might look like someone out in the great big world made him smile.

But even though he often longed for a traditional family that consisted of a Mother and Father and maybe a sibling or two, even though he often contemplated about his nowhere to be seen relatives and what they were like, he was quite content where he was and who he was with. Most would find this strange since where he was, was an orphanage and most orphans did not like orphanages but Eugene was not most children and he'd been in the orphanage since the tender age of three, he could not remember a home before it.

The orphanage was home and the people that lived alongside him in the orphanage were people that he considered his family. So while he _wanted_ to know about the people who had blood just like his running through their veins he didn't _need_ to know them. He was just curious really and the curiosity wasn't even that strong. His blood family was more of a distant thought in the very back of his young mind on days when he had nothing better to contemplate.

This was one of those days for the brown haired boy as he stared out the window that was smudged from all the other children pressing their less than clean faces and hands against it. The smudges made it hard to see out the window and would only be yet another thing for them to wipe down when it was time to clean up. But as he looked out of it, it's lack of clarity bothered him not one bit. Maybe he wasn't bothered because it was raining and outside was just as gloomy as inside and there was not much to look at anyways since they were surrounded by many trees and it took a good long walk to go into town where there was actually things to look at. Or perhaps it was because he was not even seeing the dreary scene laid out before him.

The glazed over look in his chocolate brown eyes could tell you right off the bat that he was lost in as much of a reverie as a nine year old boy could be in. His lips were turned downwards and into a frown. His thoughts were not sad or bad thoughts and they were not putting him in a rotten mood, he was just concentrating. He often frowned when concentrating and he was concentrating particularly hard on a single thought, this thought was a thought he had been thinking about for most of the day through every task and during any brief conversations he held.

He was thinking about his Mother. This was one of those days that he painted a picture of her in his head and imagined up little stories or things about her. Her appearance changed often, his Father's didn't because he liked to imagine that he was his Father's spitting image, except for his eyes of course, he had gotten his eyes from his Mother. That was the only thing that ever stayed consistent where her appearance was concerned.

Today he imagined that she had long and flowing auburn hair, fair skin and a tall figure that was less than comely. _But_ she had the face of an Angel that made everyone stop to catch a glance. Her voice would be soft and honey like but you'd rarely ever hear it because she was quiet and only spoke to say very deep, wise and insightful things. She was gentle, sweet, kind to all and had a nice sense of humor. He knew that's how Mothers were, or he knew that was how his Mother was. She could not possibly be mean spirited because she only existed in his dreams and his dreams were a place of wonder.

In truth his Mother had been much like he imagined her personality wise and they would be quite fond of each other if reality had allowed them the chance to bond as Mother and son through the years. But it did not, and never would allow them to meet and become close, she had died a few years ago, only a few months after she placed Eugene in the care of the Willow tree orphanage. The two sisters that ran the orphanage were not quite sure of her fate and did not know that she was dying when they took Eugene. The woman had just seemed distraught and heartbroken and could get out only a few words before she looked like she would cry. The two women who had been in their late twenties at the time were entirely sympathetic although they did not know her story and had taken him with few questions other than his name, age and birth of date.

As for his Father, well...he looked like him, but was not anything like young Eugene imagined. He imagined him to be just as honest and kind as he imagined his Mother. His Father although a nice fellow over all was not very honorable and fickle. His parents had been married when he was conceived but upon hearing the 'joyous' news that he would soon have a little one to raise he became uneasy. He didn't seem aware that the commitment of marriage often spawned children and was not prepared mentally to have a child, he only lasted until Eugene was a year old before running off in the middle of a night.

Eugene was aware of none of this as he sat thinking about how his Mother, and if she were there how she might be reading to him and stroking his hair while his Father would be standing off to the side watching them, eyes twinkling with amusement and love. And seeing how he began to smile a smile so content and happy it was probably best the boy did not know the truth. He was happy with the versions of them he made in his head even though not all the things he imagined made sense together, it's best for children's fantasies to be untainted by reality for as long as possible.

Eugene did not notice as the door to one of the many rooms that the male residents of the Willow orphanage stayed in and shared as a bedroom creaked and a pale young girl with short dark brown hair and light blue eyes, probably no older than the age of eight or nine herself slowly approached Eugene who stood by the window rigid as a soldier.

The young girl stopped a few feet behind him and cleared her throat. When he did not even twitch she knew he had not heard her at all and she moved forward to tug at his shirt. He blinked out of his day dreams and looked around wildly until his eyes landed on the shorter figure. When seeing her he smiled. They were quite familiar with each other and he considered her his sister. Sometimes she would even make a guest appearance in his dreams as his blood sister.

"Hey Madeline." He greeted cheerfully. "What's up?"

"Miss. Himmel wants to see you." The other drawled, a lot less cheerful. At her answer his face fell and he looked worried.

"Uh w-what for?" He asked nervously.

Eugene was not a bad child but often did things that could be considered naughty such as pull pranks. He hadn't rigged anything that day but there were always old traps that he had forgotten about and he wondered if one had been set off. He could only hope that Miss. Himmel hadn't been on the receiving end of one of his pranks.

"What do you mean what for? Don't you know what today is?" She gasped placing a hand over her mouth. "It's...Eugene it's your birthday!"

Eugene's face remained panicked until the words sunk in and then he looked to the ground for a few moments and then back up at her. "Is it?"

"Yes." The other rolled their eyes.

"Oh, well... that doesn't explain why Miss. Himmel wants to see me."

"She has a present for you."

"But no one gets presents if it's not Christmas!" He exclaimed with wide eyes.

He was right, birthdays were not celebrated in the orphanage because some children did not know their birthdays and therefore could not celebrate them. It would often cause jealousy and bickering between the children if someone so much as knew their date of birth so they were never celebrated. Hardly even mentioned really.

And the orphanage couldn't really afford to be celebrating birthdays left and right when so many children lived inside it's walls. They would go broke within the year if they did and as they were now they could barely celebrate Christmas some years. So for Miss. Himmel to not only acknowledge his birthday but have a present for him to, well, it was almost unthinkable!

The orphans only ever gave presents to each other on birthdays and they were usually very trivial, fading (and in their own way) sentimental objects, like an oddly shaped pine cone they had found while out playing and now wanted their friend to have. But a gift from an adult would probably be much less like the normal lot and Eugene's eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Well she's got a gift for you now." Madeline smirked as she stared up at her brother and crossed her arms. "She wasn't going to get one but I offered to clean up her office for two whole weeks if she did so you better like it Eugene!" She sounded almost cross but Eugene knew her all too well to be put off by such a front and just smiled at her before he gave her a tight hug.

"Thanks Madeline you're the best!"

"Get off me you big _oaf_ you smell like a dirty horse!"

"Whatever Maddy." He laughed letting her go and starting towards the door.

"H-hey! Don't call me that!" She growled but Eugene was already half way down the hall and couldn't hear her. The girl glared at empty air for a few seconds before she ran off after him. When she caught up to him (and she barely did with her being considerably shorter and him moving considerably faster) she gave him a dirty look not liking that's used her most loathed nicknamed.

"So what_ is_ this present exactly?" He asked with a sly smirk as if she would answer him just because he asked. She would not. She never did, she never answered him in a straight forward way, or she never answered him in a polite and straight forward way.

"We're eleven feet from the door Eugene you'll find out in a few seconds. Impatience is a bad quality to have." She quipped and he pouted.

"You're mean did ya know that."

"I have to be to deal with you every day." She smirked again. "Now come on you're taking too long!" She said this like she wasn't the one going slower and grabbed onto his sleeve as she ran up to the solid oak door that was the entrance to Miss. Himmel's office. The door was open just a crack and before either of the children could knock a light voice floated to their ears.

"Come in." She had heard the sound of their footsteps and bickering a mile away and when they slowly opened the door they found the raven haired woman sitting behind her desk smiling at them pleasantly. "I see you found Eugene, Madeline."

"I had to look everywhere but I did it Ma'am!" Madeline beamed with pride at having accomplished the task given to her.

"Did you tell him why I wanted him?" She chuckled.

"Yes she did Miss. Himmel!" Eugene cut in before Madeline could answer herself and she pinched his hand scowling again.

"Good." She nodded before placing a box on her desk and motioning for the two to come forward and when she did she held the gift out towards Eugene but hesitated. "Your friend will be working hard for the next two weeks because of this gift. Did you thank her?"

"Of course!" Eugene's grin turned a bit cheeky as he threw an arm around his friend's shoulder and she shrugged it off automatically.

"Well then here you go." Miss. Himmel said as she handed the box over to the boy.

It was not closed so he saw what was inside it immediately. It was a set of shiny, brand new tin soldiers. His eyes went wide with delight as he shoved the box into Madeline's face which caused her to give a shriek of surprise.

"MADELINE LOOK!"

"It is very improper for a young man to use such a loud voice when talking, especially not when talking to a lady and inside close quarters." Miss. Himmel corrected gently as she watched the two with amusement.

"Sorry." He apologized without thought (he was used to being corrected) as he took one of the tin men out of the box and let out a breathless gasp. "You're the best sister ever!"

"I know." Madeline nodded looking all too pleased with herself upon seeing Eugene's reactions to her gift.

"Now Eugene, while you may be excited about this gift it would be best to keep it something of a secret."

"Why?" He tore his eyes away from his new toys to glance at the old maid looking completely perplexed by the suggestion of not going and showing off his new possessions to everyone in the house.

"Because while Madeline earned this gift for you the other children might become jealous of it and want new toys of their own that I may not be able to provide." At the explanation he gave a small nod to show his understanding.

"Now, I must get back to work and you two must be off. Goodbye children."

"Goodbye Ma'am." The two bowed their heads in a display of respect before turning on their heels and fleeing the room together side by side, laughing madly as they went off in search of a private area away from the prying eyes of the rest of the children to play with Eugene's new toys together.

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This will of course be a Eugene/Rapunzel story just in case anyone has doubts and I hope you all will enjoy what I think Eugene's life was like before Rapunzel.


End file.
